Maps
by Crimson Fade
Summary: 5 one-shots about Nanao and Shunsui. Written for Week of Love in the Shunnao FC at BA. Theme 5: Nap. He wonders what it would be like to float on a pink cloud.
1. Work

**So this turned out more like some kind of weird essay. Sorry for the block of texts. I tried.**

**Character: Nanao (with mentions of Shunsui)**

**Theme: Work**

**Warnings: None**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or these two would REALLY be canon. **

* * *

Ise Nanao's work ethic was not difficult to understand, in her opinion. She took her job seriously (almost too seriously, her captain would complain). Even as one in a position of authority, she took orders very well (almost too well, her captain would note). Her deadline was always one day ahead of the actual deadline ("Yare, Nanao-chan, take your time!" her captain would say). Her workday was always at least three hours longer than that of her colleagues'. She had a set routine; those who interrupted that routine faced the wrath of her deadly kidou.

The one exception to this rule was Shunsui. Her captain felt that her mental health would be threatened if he did not "relieve" her of her duties at least five times a day, perhaps with a drink, a stroll in the garden, or "quality time" on the couch in his office. His tactics went as far from hiding her paper work (or in rare cases, actually doing it himself) to attempting to her pin her to the wall and kiss her (earning him a little more than a slap with her fan).

But Nanao knew better than to let all of that interfere with her duties as a shinigami (or the division's acting secretary- the entire eighth division praised her organizational skills). What she did, she did well, and she liked to think that Shunsui valued her as more than an object of his ridiculous affections. She enjoyed the feeling that came with handing paperwork in on time, categorizing papers on her superior's desk, and sorting out her division's expended budget (no thanks to Shunsui's sake). She took pride in the ability to get her captain on his hands and knees when it came to the division paperwork (and had even succeeded in doing so once- "I deserve a better death than Ryuujin Jakka, please, Nanao-chan!").

It was a rare and precious treat to walk into her office and discover all of her work completed (usually accompanied by a rose sitting in an ornate vase on her desk, and a snoring Shunsui on the couch). When she gently woke him to inquire about her missing paperwork, he would smile (Oh goodness, that smile, thought Nanao) and croon about how he did all the paperwork for "his precious Nanao-chan because she is so wonderful and lovely and beautiful and- Ouch! That hurt Nanao-chan!"

On such an occasion when she was granted the time to read a nice book or spend time with Rangiku rather read and sign paper after paper, she granted her captain the smallest of smiles (after which he proceeded to squeeze her to his chest and tell her that "Nanao-chan has the most radiant smile I've ever seen!" until she threatened him with kidou to his groin) to quietly thank him.

And on the nights where she was forced to stay up through ungodly hours to complete a never-ending stack of papers, Shunsui would tip-toe into her office and bring her favorite tea. When he asked if he needed to sign something, she would shove a pile of forms in his direction without a word. When he asked if she needed help, she would snap at him to leave her alone.

Regardless of the fact that her life seemed to revolve around paperwork, Nanao took comfort in the quiet, organized surroundings of her office. The sound of pen on paper was familiar and soothing to her (as a companion to the clink of sake bottles and her captain's booming voice in the hallways of the 8th division). She smiles internally when her captain exclaimed, "My Nanao-chan's so good at what she does!" and when the other divisions praise her for being punctual. It reminded her that she was doing something _right_. Others may see her work as boring and unnecessary, but Ise Nanao would trade little for her position.


	2. Spring

**My muse has temporarily abandoned me, so I'm sorry if this seems forced.**

**Theme: Spring**

**Warnings: Possible traces of "Did not do the research" (on my behalf)**

**Reviews are appreciated.  
**

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Shunsui loved Spring. He loved the colors it brought out on the trees and the smell of sakura petals floating in the air. He loved how _pink_ everything was. Spring matched his flowery kimono, and most importantly, his personality. He also thought it matched his Nanao-chan; the vitality and vigor in her swelled in tune to the weather, and he enjoyed watching her emerge out of her winter severity.

He loved spoiling his Nanao-chan this time of year. He loved leaving flowers, bits of poetry and small gifts on her desk almost every week. Her workspace was too dull for springtime, and he intended to fix that, no matter how many times she insisted that he was only adding more clutter and annoyance.

But he never failed to catch her faint blush on her face as he was kicked from her workspace. He had also caught her smelling the flowers and smiling, slipping his poems neatly into her desk drawer. Sure enough, when he went to check weeks later, all of his poems were still there.

"My precious Nanao-chan enjoys my poetry," he murmured into her ear one evening as she finished paperwork. Nanao paused in her writing, eyes twitching.

"Sir, what are you talking about?"

"My poems," Shunsui responded, his hands coming up to gently grasp her shoulders. "You save them in your desk."

A fan came up to smack one of his hands. He did not move, but instead starting reciting a recent work of his.

"My darling Nanao is a flower that blooms, a swan that spreads her wings; her radiance sweeps my nights of gloom, come the sunrise of her Spring, and when-"

"Sir!" she squawked, face flushing. Shunsui emitted a deep chuckle.

"What's wrong, Nanao-chan? You don't like it?"

"I hardly think it's appropriate, Kyoraku-taicho," she hissed through clenched teeth, grabbing his hands and shoving them away from her shoulders. Shunsui looked down at her with a frown.

"So cold, Nanao-chan," he said. "Will it be more romantic to you if I delivered it on parchment, perhaps with some rose petals, or fresh cherry blossoms with-"

"Sir, I have to finish these papers. Please get out." Ah, there was that blush. The pink gracing her cheeks reminded Shunsui of sakura trees, pink roses, and the glimmer of moonlight on red wine being sipped by stained lips-

"Taicho? Taicho!" Nanao's voice interrupted his brief stream of comparisons. He smiled down at her.

"I'm terribly sorry Nanao-chan. I was merely thinking of your beauty and comparing it to the phenomena of nature that we are blessed with this time of year."

His compliment was received by a glare, but he observed something else hidden behind the anger in her violet eyes. He leaned down, careful to avoid her hand that still gripped her trusty fan.

"My Nanao-chan doesn't believe she's beautiful?" he inquired softly. Shock first registered on his lieutenant's face, but she recovered quickly.

"Sir?"

He straightened up with a swirl of his pink haori and a dramatic sigh. "This must be remedied! Come, Nanao-chan, abandon this mess and take a walk with me. A woman must never doubt her radiance, especially-"

THWACK.

Shunsui stumbled back, gripping his nose.

"Taicho, I appreciate your concern, but there other things I must attend to." With those words, Nanao gathered the papers sitting on the desk and scurried out of the room.

"We'll talk later, my beauty!" Shunsui sauntered after her. "My beloved Nanao-chan is the resilient blossom who hides her gleaming brilliance behind a thorny veil! One day I will have her beauty all to myself, my shining flower!"

* * *

**Yeah. Lame. **


	3. Care

**My creativity's still a little dry, but I think this came out well in spite of being forced out (like the last one). Thank you to all my reviewers for your support! **

**Theme: Care**

**Warnings: None**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or we would know what Nanao was up to by now. **

* * *

Rain was pouring outside, and Nanao pursed her lips. Her captain hadn't returned yet. She worried that he had fallen asleep and was now getting soaked. He would surely catch a cold this way. And who would have to take care of him? Who would have to fetch endless amounts of blankets, tea, thermometers, and who knew what else? She would.

Slamming her book down with an impatient sigh, she stood up. She stretched her senses to search for his reiatsu and sensed somewhere far off, at a location she was unable to pinpoint from here. Definitely not in his quarters, office, or the rooftop.

She found him in a field closest to the 13th division. No doubt he had just finished catching up with Ukitake. He was lying underneath a large, lonely tree, sheltered from the rain by its wide leaves. Nanao approached him quietly, already quite wet herself.

"Kyoraku-taicho, what are you doing?" she asked once she stood beside him. He tilted his hat to look her and smiled affectionately.

"Nanao-chan," he greeted. "I am merely reveling in the outbursts of Mother Nature, observing her methods of cleansing her property and our sanctuary. Nanao-chan- what are you doing out here in the rain? You'll get sick!"

Nanao's eye twitched. "I was going to ask you the same thing, sir."

Shunsui chuckled. "Come here and lay down next to me. I shall keep you warm and safe!" He opened his ridiculous pink haori as an invitation.

Nanao swallowed and adjusted her glasses. "I'll pass, Taicho. I think you should head back to your quarters; it doesn't do well for your health to sit out here all night."

Shunsui laughed gently and stood up. "It fills my heart with joy to know that my darling Nanao-chan cares for her captain so," he said, clasping his hands over his heart.

She looked up at him with an even face, suppressing a blush. "Of course, Taicho. It's my duty to look after you."

"Ah, my flower, but one might say as captain, it's _my_ duty to look after _you_," Shunsui replied, lowering hands to allow one of them to rest on Nanao's cheek. She immediately slapped it away, but allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"Perhaps you're right, Taicho."

Shunsui gave her a warm smile, accompanied by one of his rare, deep looks that made Nanao's heart flutter uncontrollably. He then took off his pink haori and offered it to her.

"Then let's go back, ne? If we both get sick, neither of us will be able to care of the other!"

Nanao hesitated before accepting the haori. After Shunsui checked (rather thoroughly) to make sure it was keeping her dry, they made their way back to the 8th division.


	4. War

**This one was difficult to write the way I wanted to write it; but this is how it came out. The part near the end seems too awkward to me, but I didn't know how to fix it.  
**

**Thank you to all of my reviewers, and I hope you enjoy this one.**

**Theme: War**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

They were given an hour's warning before the attack on Karakura Town. They now had half an hour to gather the remaining captains and vice-captains for battle. After a brief argument, Yamamoto had ordered that a small troop led by a vice-captain stay behind; the person chosen for this was Ise Nanao.

She currently stood in the doorway of her office, watching Shunsui calmly sip a cup of sake on porch outside. Nanao approached him carefully.

"Kyoraku-taicho," she greeted softly. Shunsui turned to look at her, setting down his cup.

"Nanao-chan," he returned with a smile. "Did you need something?"

Nanao opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it again and bowed her head. "No sir. I just wanted to wish you good luck."

She didn't dare look at him- which is why she didn't noticed he was in front of her until a large hand lifted her chin.

"Is that all you wanted to say, Nanao?"

Nanao swallowed, shaking her head. There were many things she wanted to say, out of fear she wouldn't see him again, but she would never say them. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"Please… please come back alive."

Two large hands came up and gently cupped her face. For the first time, she did not push or smack him away. When she looked up, his deep brown eyes were staring at her, a small but serious smile on his face.

"My dearest Nanao, I will always return as long as you are here waiting for me."

She stared up at him, reaching for his hands, a watery smile forming on her face.

"Of course, Taicho." Lowering her head to hide her tears as she grasped his hands, she was surprised when she felt a pair of soft lips kissing the top of her head.

"Make that a promise, my precious Nanao-chan," he said, squeezing her hands.

"I… I will be h-here… waiting for you." Her pale, slender hands slid out of his large brown ones as she embraced him, trembling. In the distance, she heard the Emergency Hell Butterflies signaling the troops to gather at the gate where they would enter the Fake Karakura Town.

"My beloved Nanao," Shunsui murmured into her hair, giving her one final squeeze. "I'll be right back."

With those words Nanao let go, and watched him head to the gates, his pink haori fluttering in the wind. When he was out of out sight, she turned back to her office, wiping her eyes.


	5. Nap

**Happy Birthday Shunsui!**

**This was gonna be another essay-ish, introspective-type thing like Nanao's, but I decided against it. **

**Thanks again for all the reviews, and I wanted to thank Kitsune Moonstar for her wonderful comments on each chapter (and who also has some of the best Shunsui/Nanao fics I've ever read!) **

**Theme: Nap (Shunsui-centric)  
**

**Warnings: Stuff that may not make sense. **

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Shunsui gazed at the clouds, swimming lazily on the air far above him. He sighed. The sky was like a river, he thought. The clouds just drift along and do nothing until they wither and fall like rain. They do nothing but enjoy the breeze and their never-ending river of a pale blue sky, out of reach from all obligation and danger.

He imagined what it would be like, to float on a cloud. A pink one, like his haori. A cloud of sakura petals. Oh, wouldn't that be lovely? He would swim around in the sky, and then he would fall with the sakura petals to the lush, green grass beneath. He would do nothing but float.

He thought back to his pink cloud. What shape would it be? A heart, he decided. It would be a large, pink fluffy heart. And I would share it with Nanao-chan! he thought, a smile spreading on face. My Nanao-chan and I would share a cloud. We would float in the sky together. And we would hold onto each other so we won't fall off. We would share a cup of sake- the cloud would be stocked with sake. And steamed buns. And I know my Nanao-chan likes those sweet-bean pastries, so we'd have those on the cloud too. Perhaps there'd be chocolates too…

His body began to rise, floating up to the sky. He looked down at the tree he had been relaxing under, quickly growing smaller and smaller. Returning his gaze to the sky, a pink cloud came into sight. He laughed delightedly. It was his cloud! His cloud was waiting for him!

He reached for it, grasping the pink, silky substance. He climbed atop of it, only to find a smiling Nanao-chan seated on the cloud with a large bottle of sake lying beside her.

"Ah, Nanao-chan, I'm so glad you could join me!" he said with a large grin, wrapping his arms around her. Looking up at him, she returned his grin.

"I'm glad I could be here… Shunsui," she said.

He chuckled, stroking her face. "I've waited for you to call me that."

Nanao beamed, her eyes sparkling. He smiled, and leaned down to kiss her. Happiness swelled inside of him- she was not pushing him away! She was kissing him! He pulled away to embrace her, cherishing the feeling of his Nanao-chan in his arms.

"Taicho," she muttered, wrapping her arms around him.

"My darling, you don't need to call me 'Taicho' anymore," Shunsui replied, stroking her hair.

"Taicho?" Her eyes were still closed from the kiss, her mouth set in a small, satisfied smile. Shunsui frowned.

"Taicho!" He blinked. His Nanao-chan wasn't saying anything. Where was that voice coming from?

"Taicho! WAKE UP, KYORAKU!" A sharp pain exploded in his side. He gasped. The Nanao-chan he was holding poofed into pink smoke. He gaped at the spot where Nanao-chan just sat. What was happening? The pink cloud he was floating on started to fade. Was he going to fall…? He was falling! The sake! He must save the sake! He couldn't let it…

"TAICHO!"

His eyes snapped open. A furious, very _real_ Nanao was looking down at him, blocking his view of the clouds.

"Nanao-chan…?" he muttered.

"Sir," she said. "You have a meeting in ten minutes."

He groaned. "But my dear Nanao-chan! I was dreaming of you! Why did you wake me up at the best part?"

The real Nanao adjusted her glasses. "I'm terribly sorry sir, but it was important that I wake you so you can get ready."

Shunsui groaned again, covering his face with his hands. He wanted to go back to his pink cloud.


End file.
